Bier



Get. 24, 1939. R. BROWN 2,177,169

BIER

Filed June 10, 1937 14- 12 37. AL v INVENTOR. Russel F. Brown Mfncss: BY

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to biers, and more particularly to a bierhaving lengthwise adjustable casket supporting surface for supportingdifferent length caskets.

Inasmuch as childrens caskets are necessarily made in a number ofdifferent lengths, it is an object of this invention to provide a bierwhich is adjustable to accommodate caskets of different lengths; it is afurther object to provide a bier 10 which may be readily adjusted to theexact length of any small casket; it is a further object to provide abier having improved collapsible legs so that the bier may be folded forconvenient and inconspicuous transportation; and, it is a further objectto provide a bier improved in other respects hereinafter appearing.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bier;

20 Figure 2 is a side View of the bier when folded;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of an end rail and partsassociated therewith.

25 Referring then to this drawing, in which like parts of the structureare designated by the same numerals in the several views, the bier thereshown comprises a pair of parallel oppositely disposed side rails I andI I rigidly connected at their 30 opposite ends to end rails I2 setflush with the side rails in rabbets I3 in these side rails. The sideand end rails are secured together in any convenient manner as by screwsI 4.

The bier is provided with opposite end pairs of ill ,35 collapsible legsI5, the legs of each end pair being rigidly secured together by upperbraces or struts I6, and lower braces H. To the outer side face of eachleg I5 and intermediate the ends thereof is pivotally secured one end ofa link I 9 by means of 40 screws I 8, the other end of which link isotherwise pivotally secured to its adjacent side rail, ID or II, byscrews 20.

Pin sockets 2I are provided in the bottoms of the side rails I0 and I Iand at each end of each of 45 these rails, and pins 22 in the upper endsof legs I5 are adapted to fit into sockets 2| when the bier is in use toprevent any sidewise or endwise relative movement between the legs andthe rails. These pins 22 project only slightly above the 50 upper endsof the legs I5 so that they may easily slide out of the sockets 2I whenthe legs are folded to their collapsed position of non-use shown inFigure 2.

In order to prevent the pins 22 from accidentally 55 slipping out oftheir sockets 2 I, each opposite end pair of legs is provided with alatch bar 23, one end of which is pivotally connected by a screw 24 tothe upper strut I6 and the other end of the latch bar is provided with aslot 25 to receive and detachably retain a keeper 26, here shown as an 5ordinary wood screw secured to the end rail I2.

The side rails Ill and I I are provided with upper groove guides 21 andlower groove guides 28. Upper runners 29, 30 are slidably disposed inthe upper guides 21, and lower runners 3i and 32 are similarly disposedin the lower guides 28.

To each parallelly disposed pair of runners 29, 3B and 3I, 32 a crossbar 33 is rigidly secured adjacent the inner ends thereof while to theouter P ends thereof an end support 34 is secured. These end supports,the side rails I0 and I I and end rails I2 are all flush and form thetop of the bier on which the casket is supported.

Small caskets are ordinarly made in lengths of 24 inches, 30 inches, 36inches, etc., each larger size being six inches longer than thepreceding smaller size. So that the bier may be readily set to the exactlength for any size casket, upper runner 29 and lower runner 3i, both ofwhich lie adjacent the side rail II), are each provided with a plunger39 normally inwardly urged by the action of a spring 30. These plungersrespectively cooperate with upper plunger receiving apertures II in siderail Ill and similar lower plunger receiving apertures 42, the aperturesin each row being spaced apart a distance of three inches.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shownand described, it will be understood that certain details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bier comprising a pair of oppositely disposed side rails havingupper and lower guides 40 along the inside faces thereof and pin socketsin the bottom of each side rail near either end thereof end railsrigidly connecting said side rails, end pairs of rail supporting legs, astrut connecting the legs of each end pair, a link pivotally connectedto each leg and toits adjoining side rail, pins in the upper ends ofsaid legs, a latch bar pivotally connected to each strut and a keeperfor said latch bar on the end rail adjacent thereto, a pair of connectedrunners slidably disposed in the upper 5 guides in said side rails and asimilar pair of runnersslidably disposed in the lower guides in saidside rails, and an end support secured to each pair of runners at theouter ends thereof.

2. A bier comprising a pair of oppositely disposed side rails havingupper and lower guides along the inside faces thereof and upper andlower plunger receiving apertures spaced apart at predetermineddistances in the inside face of one of said side rails, end railsrigidly connecting said side rails, legs supporting the structure, apair of connected runners slidably disposed in the upper guides of saidside rails and a similar pair of runners slidably disposed in the lowerguides in said side rail, the upper and lower runners lying adjacentsaid apertured side rail each having a plunger adapted'to releasablyseat in one of the upper and lower apertures respectively to stop theslide movement of the pairs of runners, and an end support secured toeach pair of runners at the outer ends thereof.

RUSSEL F. BROWN.

